The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-22
THE SOUTHERN PRISON RoTTENNEss

THE SOUTHERN PRISON ROTTENNESS.
The Sentinel makes show of virtue in adj
uniting that Warden Howard is guilty, and in
the assertion that 'the whole kit and posse
must 60" Considering that Howard was APP
pointed twelve years ago. and has been run
ming the Democratic politics of the State ever
SINCE and been regularly whitewashed by the
Democrats every two years, this spasrn of
virtue comes rather late The Sentinel
further says:
''The Democratic Senate discovered their
guilt, and the southern prison, which for
twenty-five years under Republican and Dem
ocratic wardens has reeked with corruption,
will be reformed root and branch"
The attempt to implicate Republican
wardens' will deceive nobody nor will the
claim of credit for the Democratic Senate in
unearthing the rottenness. The Republicans
have had control Of the prison very little of
the time during the last twenty five years,
and there is no evidence of fraud or cor
ruption under them. There is, however,
abundant evidence that it has been going on
ever since Howard went in, and
that the wholesale system of corrup-
ton and fraud practiced there was an
important part of Democratic politics in the
State. This glazing fact is what now occu-
pies the attention of the people, and they
charge, unsupported by particle of evidence,
that things were just as bad under Repub-
lican rule. Even if they were, that would
not better the present case; but they were
not.
AS for the Democratic Senate discovering
the abuses, they did nothing of the kind, or
if they did, did not expose them The SEN
ate committees report was one of mild GEN.
sure, and if the case had rested there the
public would have known nothing as to the
extent, duration and character of the abuses
| and frauds in the prison management; they
would have known nothing of the defalc..-
ton, and the general system of plumber that
prevailed In short they would have had
| only vague hint of the dreadful truth. 1t
was left for the House committee to probe the
| rottenness and make a real investigation.
| The report OF the Senate committee let How
ard down very easy, and in the light of suisse
quent developments, was evidently intended
to do So the object being, if possible to avert
the coming storm, or at least break its force.
| WtJr /, Iof
rupt the subordinates and employees generally
initiate his example. Corruption is con-
tagious, and if practced by those in authority
is sure to be by assistants and underlings. Sc
it was at the southern prison. They were all
''on the make Corruption permeated every
thing. While the warden had his big steal
| ings the subordinates had their little pick.
ings. Like master like man. The steward
made his profit on the beef and hominy fur
nished the prisoners. The clerk had a mo-
nopoly Of selling them clothing. The chap.
lain did a pardon brokerage business, charg-
ing the convicts for writing letters and fol
alleged trips to the capital in their favor.
The deputy warden boarded the prison guards,
and provided them food taken from the prison
supplies And so it went, from top to bottom.
4 And there have been twelve years of this, the
Democracy getting their dividend every cam.
paign, and whitewashing Jack Howard recu-
larly every two years.